Saturday, 30 May 2015

In a little over a week, I will be visiting the beautiful city of Bruges in Belgium and staying there for a few days. Needless to say, I'll be glued to my camera throughout the trip (anticipate a mass of photos when I return!), however there are some other colourful items that have been playing on my mind as the city break approaches...

Wednesday, 27 May 2015

As previously mentioned on A Glass Of Ice, I was recently sent the spectacular Ethereal Collection* by Mii Cosmetics and decided to split the reviews into three parts. At the weekend, I shared my review of the high-gloss Molten Lip Sheens and so now, moving on to part two, I'm playing with the three Enchanting Eye Colours c/o from the collection. You just know things are about to get really pretty when the eye colours have the names Sunbeam, Twinkle and Stardust!

Monday, 25 May 2015

It seems one million times easier to incorporate trends into the wardrobe than the home, which isn't really surprising considering the size difference (unless of course you're Carrie Bradshaw or Mariah Carey and have a wardrobe the size of a small castle). Having said that, there are home design trends that don't require enormous effort and for 2015, the perfect example of this is the explosion of blue accent colours. Personally, I tend to gravitate towards cream, beige and gold tones, however I'm certainly not opposed to throwing around a navy blue cushion or two in appreciation of the trend!

Saturday, 23 May 2015

You may remember that at the beginning of this month I reviewed two Moisturising Lip Lover shades by Mii Cosmetics (spoiler: I adored them). Well, just when I thought it would be impossible to love the brand even more, I was very kindly sent the stunning new Ethereal Collection c/o by Mii Cosmetics. The collection consists of two 'Celestial Skin Shimmers', three 'Enchanting Eye Colours' and two 'Molten Lip Sheens'. I'll be dividing the reviews into three parts: lips, eyes and cheeks. So, without further ado.. let's talk lip sheens!

Thursday, 21 May 2015

'Yeah, castles are always a lot of fun to stay in', I thought to myself. It was only after a good ten minutes of browsing the Thornbury Castle Hotel website that it dawned on me.. I've never stayed in a castle. Oh, the shame. I must have been mistaking the mass of historical dramas I indulge in for personal experiences. Oh, the further shame.

Tuesday, 19 May 2015

A while ago, I promised to put together a post with some tips on nail health, focussing on how to grow (and maintain) longer nails. Three months on and it really was a while ago now. Nevertheless, here it is! I've always taken great care of my nails, making sure to focus on strength as ultimately, length can't be achieved without it. Now, I'm well aware that nails aren't everything; they can't bring the sun out and they won't help you sleep at night.. but one thing is for certain, when they're long and polished, they can be damn pretty to look down at as you're writing out the day's to-do list!

Saturday, 16 May 2015

I'll admit I was tempted to leave this post with the above line only because.. well, because Colin Firth. He is undoubtedly my biggest 'actor crush' and has been ever since seeing him for the first time as Mr Darcy in the 1995 BBC television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Needless to say, when I heard he would be starring in Kingsman: The Secret Service, I had planned almost immediately on viewing it. So, when I was contacted about bringing some attention to the upcoming Digital HD release of the film by taking part in an at-home viewing party of the DVD*, I was one hundred per cent on board!

Thursday, 14 May 2015

Hilariously, the temperature has dropped to 8°Cand brought a lot of rain with it, however that wasn't the case yesterday. Thankfully, I visited the beautiful Hatchlands Park when the sun was shining and jackets weren't needed. After waiting for my camera to charge (and playing the piano in the meantime until my fingers dropped off), I persuaded a family member to accompany me to the National Trust location in the hope of seeing something both rare and highly coveted.. bluebell woods!

Tuesday, 12 May 2015

I should start by saying that these weren't even on my radar when putting together this year's sandal wish list. I had spent the two weeks prior saving tropical printed sandals with low wooden heels to my favourites, however that was until I walked past Office Shoes' window. Within twenty seconds I had made the decision to purchase the Garland Block Heel Sandals and live in them for the next three months.

Sunday, 10 May 2015

Depending on how long you've been reading my blog for, you may or may not know that I spent some time at the Champneys Henlow Health Resort last month. However, what I didn't mention when I shared my experience of the stay, is that I picked up some nail goodies to give away on A Glass Of Ice ready for when I reached 850 followers on Bloglovin'.. and so here we are!

Friday, 8 May 2015

I don't need an excuse to enjoy an afternoon tea, however celebrating my grandmother's 85th birthday seemed like a very good reason to roll out the scones! Along with other members of the family, we made our way to the Macdonald Windsor Hotel to enjoy a delicious afternoon tea. We chose to travel to Windsor for the occasion as not only had a member of the party pinpointed the hotel as a great destination, but also due to an air of patriotism given recent events - I'm talking about you, Princess Charlotte! The famous Windsor Castle was visible when standing in the entrance hall of the hotel and in fact was only a two minute walk away, making for an exciting atmosphere of buzzing crowds.. I have to admit to loving the energy created by crowds of people and so when an area is flooded with tourists, my day improves tenfold! Inside the hotel was a very different matter however and could be considered a tranquil oasis in the historic town..

Tuesday, 5 May 2015

For quite some time now, I've been a huge fan of Jessica Nails products due to their vast range of high quality colours and of course, their faultless top coat. With this in mind, discovering they have a sister brand under Gerrard International that produces cosmetics was quite possibly the highlight of my week - at least with regard to pretty things that prompt an 'ooh'.

Saturday, 2 May 2015

It's been a month today since I last added a hotel to my Hotel Wishlist series (read the last instalment here) and so here we are, a little overdue, with the beautiful Royal Crescent Hotel located in Bath. As the hotel's name suggests, the Georgian hotel can be found at the heart of Bath's famous Royal Crescent (a row of thirty terraced houses built in the 18th century). I've visited the city more times than I can remember and each time have ventured up to the Royal Crescent - camera in hand - to take advantage of the beautiful photo-opportunities offered by the sweeping crescent. During my last visit I took the time to explore No 1 Royal Crescent and when emerging from the museum (definitely worth the visit!) and back out into the cold, I spotted a couple of tourists wearing pom pom hats and wheeling their suitcases into a hotel. I jotted down the name and fast forward a few months, here I am finally looking into why those tourists looked so cheerful to be wheeling their suitcases around the Royal Crescent..